A tribute to the legendary Manuel "Cowboy" Donley is scheduled for Saturday, September 28, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Parque Zaragoza, located at 2608 Gonzales St. in East Austin. The event will feature performances by musicians, including family members, celebrating his innovative contributions to Tejano music with a special performance.
Manuel "Cowboy" Donley, a pioneer of Tejano music, represents a transformative moment in the genre. The tribute will include a two-hour performance with a brief intermission. Sylvia, Phillip, and Lupe Donley will share memories and perform songs they played with their father, along with an orchestra presenting trumpet arrangements by Donley himself.
Special appearances include Trío Los Vigilantes, an Austin-based group preserving the tradition of the Mexican trio, performing boleros with Sylvia Donley. Kim Simpson, a renowned singer-songwriter based in Austin and host of The International Folk Bazaar on KOOP Radio, will be one of the emcees. Simpson had the fortune of performing with Donley on KUTX in 2014.
The event will also feature a 12-piece orchestra with several trumpet musicians who played with Donley, including Felipe "Tiburón" Borrero leading the trumpet section and Jerry Silva, one of Donley's Estrellas. The trumpet section will follow Donley's traditional formation of an alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and two trumpets.
Donley was a pioneering figure in the evolution of Tejano music. He was a multi-talented musician skilled in playing various instruments including guitar, trumpet, and saxophone. He began his musical journey in Austin, Texas after his family moved there from Durango, Mexico when he was a child.
Donley's achievements have been recognized through numerous honors including his induction into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame in 1986 and receiving the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2014 which acknowledged his lasting impact on American musical traditions.
This tribute is a collaboration between The Donley Family; ESB MACC; Austin Tejano Music Coalition; and produced by Christopher Mares. The project has been funded wholly or partially by the City of Austin's Live Music Fund Event Program.
The public is invited to celebrate Manuel “Cowboy” Donley's memory and music. For more information visit AustinTexas.gov/ESBMACC.